OTTAWA - The Ottawa Sooners are pleased to announce that Mario LaValle has been promoted to the position of Defensive Coordinator. Lavalle spent last season as the Sooners' linebackers coach. Prior to this, he was part of the Ottawa Myers Riders coaching staff, working primarily with linebackers but also with the defensive line and special teams. During his time with the club, Lavalle had three players move on to the CIS and helped the team get to two provincial finals.

The Sooners have also brought on a new defensive line coach. Ntare Bainomugisha has joined the staff and will assume the role of Defensive Line coach. Prior to coaching, Bainomugisha was a 5 year starter at York University. He then had several minor football coaching stops, including the last 3 seasons as head coach of the Orleans Bengals Midget squad.

Matt was coach of the OVFL Myers Riders Junior Varsity program that was Wettges Conference champion and Provincial Finalist in 2009 and 2011. He was also a member of the Myers Riders Midget staff that didn't lose a game from 1995-1997.

Matt helped coach the Ottawa Junior Riders to 3 straight Provincial Championships from 2006-2008. His honours in that time include League Coaching Staff of the year in 2007 and 2008 and Coach of the Year in 2011.

Matt is a Level III certified coach, one of only a handful of coaches in the region with this level of training.

2013 Sooners Staff and Executive

Matt Murfitt – Head Coach

Matt was coach of the OVFL Myers Riders Junior Varsity program that was Wettges Conference champion and Provincial Finalist in 2009 and 2011. He was also a member of the Myers Riders Midget staff that didn't lose a game from 1995-1997.

Matt helped coach the Ottawa Junior Riders to 3 straight Provincial Championships from 2006-2008. His honours in that time include League Coaching Staff of the year in 2007 and 2008 and Coach of the Year in 2011.

Matt is a Level III certified coach, one of only a handful of coaches in the region with this level of training

Mario LaValle - Defensive Coordinator

Mario, an Ottawa native, played linebacker at McGill University after winning many awards with the Bel Air Lions and Ottawa Myers Riders junior and senior teams. With the Junior Riders football club, his team won back to back Manson Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007. In '06, Mario was rookie of the year and, in '07, followed that up with Team MVP and league all star performances.

After McGill, Mario joined the Ottawa Myers Riders coaching staff, working primarily with linebackers but also with the defensive line and special teams. During his time with the club, he had three players move on to the CIS and helped the team get to two provincial finals. He spent 2012 as Sooners Linebackers Coach.

Dave Boushey - Offensive Cordinator

Dave played university ball at McGill in 1983 and then at the University of Toronto from 1984-87. After graduation, he remained at U of T, spending 3 more years there as Running Backs and then Receivers coach. In 1991, Dave was named Offensive Coordinator at Lorne Park High School in Mississauga, helping the club win the 1992 Metro Bowl.

After graduating from the University of Toronto, Mario returned to Ottawa in 1988 and began coaching at St. Pius X high school, the same school he helped win numerous city championships as a player in the late 70's. Mario has been a positional coach, coordinator and head coach in the NCAFA (Myers, Redskins, Norsemen), OVFL (Myers Junior and Senior), NCSSAA (Notre Dame High School, Sacred Heart High School, St. Joseph’s High School) and most recently the Ottawa Invaders of the Northern Football League.

Mario played 3 years for the Carleton University Ravens in the mid-80s. Mario is also a former Ottawa Sooner playing for the strong teams of the early 1980s.

Steve Campagna - Offensive Line & Asst Coordinator

Steve Campagna started coaching with the Ottawa Sooners in 1997, winning a Manson Cup that season. In 2000, Steve began coaching at the University of Ottawa where he was the Offensive Line Coach for the next two years, winning a Vanier Cup National Championship in 2000. He returned to the Sooners in 2004 as their Offensive Line Coach.

From 1988 to 1990, Steve played at Carleton University, joining the Ottawa Sooners for the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Steve then played at Ottawa U for three seasons and was a team captain. He signed with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in 1992 and attended their training camp that year.

Ntare Bainomugisha - Defensive Line Coach

Ntare has joined the staff for 2013 and will assume the role of Defensive Line coach. Prior to coaching, Bainomugisha started on the Offensive and Defensive Line for 5 years at York University (200-2004). He then had several minor football coaching stops, including the Cumberland Panthers, Ottawa Tech, Junior Riders and Myers Riders JV.

Ntare has spent the last 3 seasons as head coach of the Orleans Bengals Midget squad. He also ran the club's offense and headed up recruiting and scouting.

Danny Dobson - QB Coach

Danny played for the Junior Riders in the OFC (2005) and QJFL (2006 and 2007). During that time, he led his team to back-to-back championships, earning the President's Award for his team in 2007.

Danny began his coaching career in 2006 with the Ottawa Myers Riders' Senior Varsity team in the OVFL. Between 2008-2009, Danny moved on to coach in the NCAFA Bantam football league with the Bel-Air Lions, where his team made the championship finals in 2008. From 2009-2011, Danny returned the Myers Riders organization once again, and for 3 straight years the club received all-star recognition at the QB position.

Adam Belrango - DB Coach

Adam was Defensive Backs Coach with the Junior Varsity Myers Riders from 2009-2011. During his time there, his unit led the league in interceptions in 2010 and 2011 while receiving all–star recognition in 2011. In 2009 and 2011 Adam helped the Myers Riders reach the provincial finals.

As a player, Adam was part of the same club's perfect season in 2003. He then joined the Junior Riders and helped his team to win 3 consecutive championships from 2006-2008. Adam won the Coach’s Award and President’s Award in 2008, recognizing his leadership and contribution on and off the field.

Chris Lewis - Running Backs Coach

Chris has spent the past 2 seasons as a coach with the Myers Junior OVFL club. From 2005-2011, Chris was part of an outstanding coaching staff that helped Bel-Air's minor football program win two city championships. He is eager to begin a new coaching chapter with the Sooners and eager to help in the development of a great club with such rich history.

As a player, Chris was a standout for Bel-Air for over a decade, winning many awards, including a league championship in 1997. He later shifted to the Junior Riders in 2005, winning Rookie of the year.

Luigi De Lellis - Kicking Coach Luigi played 2 years with the Jr Riders program and won 2 championships in 2006 and 2007. He won the club's special teams award for 2006 and in 2007 and won kicker and punter of the year in the Q.J.F.L. Luigi was heavily recruited by all of the top CIS teams and NCAA Div 1 and 2. Played one year at the University of Ottawa in 2008 and became a starter as a freshman.

2012 Sooners Executive

Rob Raistrick - President

Rob enters his 2nd year as president of the Sooners. He is president of Barrhaven Source for Sports and founder of the Barrhaven Run for Rogers House. He's involved in countless charities and sports organizations across the city. He's extremely excited about the quality of the people helping to run the club this year.

Rob's goal is to help further build football in Ottawa and help build the Sooners into champions. It's also a goal to reconnect with the great people and players who helped construct the Sooners amazing history over the last 50 years.

Tom Timlin - General Manager

Tom is no stranger to the Ottawa football scene. In the mid 80’s, he starred at Carleton University, where he earned the President's Trophy in 1983 as top defensive player in the CIS. His number 37 jersey is the only number ever retired by the Ravens football program.

Timlin was an assistant coach at Carleton and, more recently, manager of football operations after helping resurrect the Ravens last year. The school re-enters the CIS next season and several of this year’s Ottawa Sooners have already committed to play at Carleton next year.

2012 Sooners Medical Team

Sonia Bougie - Head Athletic Therapist

Sonia is in her first season with the Sooners. She completed her Undergraduate Degree with Honours in Kinesiology from the University of Ottawa in 2004. She went on to graduate from the Sports Injury Management Program at Mount Royal University in 2005. She completed her National Exam in early 2006.

She competed nationally as a figure skater so she has a clear understanding of the competitive athlete's psyche and what’s involved in getting an athlete back on track. Sonia is also the athletic therapist of the Ottawa Invaders football club.